Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Prathisthana has chosen K. Satchidanandan, poet and critic, for the prestigious Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar. The award will be presented to the litterateur on the birth anniversary of Jnanpith recipient and writer Kuvempu on December 29, at Kuppalli in Shimoga district. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will present the award.
Considering the contribution of the writer to the field of literature, a three-member selection committee comprising Jnanpith recipient Chandrashekar Kambar, B.A. Vivek Rai and Purushottama Bilimale selected Dr. Satchidanandan for the coveted award, said Hampa Nagarajaiah, president of the Pratisthana, to presspersons on Friday.
Dr. Satchidanandan has established himself as an academic, editor, translator and playwright. He has 23 collections of poetry, 16 collections of translations of poetry and 21 collections of essays on literature, language and society, besides four plays and three novel narratives.
The writer introduced several internationally renowned poets, including Federico Garcia Lorca, Alexander Block, Pablo Neruda, Bertolt Brecht, Mohmoud Darwish and others to Malayalam readers through his translations. He is one of the pioneers of modern poetry in Malayalam and he was nominated for Noble Prize for Literature in 2011, said Prof. Nagarajaih.
“When the news of his selection for the award was communicated to him, an elated Satchidanandan said that he is happy for getting the award instituted in the name of Kuvempu, a poet for whom he has great regard,” said Prof. Nagarajaiah.
Pratishtana, was founded in 1992. It plans to bring out four DVDs of Ramayana Darshanam — an epic work of Kuvempu, and a photo album, which will have over 1,500 rare selected pictures on the life and works of writer, he said.
